Tuesday, 14 April 2009

The Rosbif and the Frogs

I am turning native. I ate frogs' legs yesterday. They were sautéed with a lot of garlic and served warm as an apéritif. This is the French experience, eh?

Not much to it really, psychologically or physically unless you are a frog lover. Or a frog. You'd be hard pressed to get fat on them. For the curious they taste like very tiny chicken legs, though the squeamish might be turned by the fact they are served in pairs still joined at the hip. I worried that La Fille might be a little disturbed by the idea as her favourite series of books at the moment is Frog and Toad. I was ready to explain - though I'm not sure what or how - but there was no need. She was so keen the Frenchman said: "Aha! You are half French after all", as if there might be some doubt about this.

I was with French friends and the conversation turned to other national delicacies; it was admitted that the French do have some very dubious culinary habits. For starters there's Tete de Veau, or indeed the process involved in the making of foie gras, which, is cruel even if the end product is delicious. "Aha, but you English have boiled lamb and haggis," said our hostess. "No, that's not us that's the Scottish," I said.

But there are lines to be drawn with my efforts to integrate. I can say with 100% confidence that you will not find me eating snails or, as I prefer to think of them, slugs with shells. In this case I will make an exception to the rule, oft repeated to La Fille, that one should try something before deciding one doesn't like it. I don't even want to know if I don't like snails.

We even ate brains (see post: http://wwwtheothersideofparis.blogspot.com/2007/08/thought-for-food.html) but my son, daughter and I didn't really like it and that is now off the menu. The Frog Queen, however, eats anything including bowls of brains.

i found the two times i tried snails that they were not worth the effort -- rubbery, small and needing to be smothered in some sort of sauce, or sauteed in something flavorfull. i find that food that *needs* other things to be flavorfull are not worth the time (this includes veal, tripe, brains, kidneys... you name it). frog legs too. not so interesting, i don't think.

I like snails and haggis - but I won't try anything like brains or tongue or tripe. I once tried oysters, but wasn't crazy about the texture and sliminess. I suppose I'd starve in many places around the world, wouldn't I?

The move to France was only supposed to be for a couple of years, not forever. Then I met The Frenchman. Then I had La Fille. Now there's no way back. But La Fille, to whom a horse is a cheval and a frog is just pond life is still half English. So before the Gallic nation claims her for its own, sprinkles her with garlic, sautés her and swallows her up whole we make regular escapes on the Eurostar. And we have discovered the grass is various shades of green either side of the Channel.